Where do your politics and atheism converge?

The name of this group points out the similarities between the two well. I think a lot of the things we have problems with would be eliminated by small government.

Less public property means less nativity scene lawsuits. An abundance of private schools means we don't have to be annoyed when our kids go to school and say a pledge of allegiance to a state (which I personally disagree with) and a god that doesn't exist. I can't see why the government should be involved with stem cell research, whether pharmacists will prescribe plan b, or why they should have any say over marriage.

I like to think the best solution to most problems is the simplest solution that meets your goals and, as both a libertarian and an atheist, I come to the same conclusion on these issues: less government.

It seems that atheists manage to miss the mark so often. I listen to radio shows or watch videos and jump around because so many of us seem so oblivious to the simplest, most direct solutions.

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Well, before saying this, let me state that I support gay rights. But at the same time, some of my opinions would probably not be very popular with the 'gay mainstream' and progressives at all. A number of localzed city meetup groups for 'freethinkers' are often associated with 'pride' weeks and parades.

Something I have always thought of as counterproductive. If the parade is supposed to be a civil rights thing fighting for acceptance, maybe....just maybe that is not the correct time and place for semi nude strippers and overt sexual imagery. Not for a group whose already stereotyped as 'perverts' by the religious right. Don't get me wrong. I have no issue at all with things like open displays of sexuality, but once again....time and place. If it did not have the subtext of a civil rights event, I could care less.

Also, on health care, I admit I'm not the most educated, BUT.....I've seen way too many atheists buy into abusing liberal propaganda. For example, like making out anyone who dares to oppose Obama's health care plan, to automatically be 'uncaring' about health care reform. From what I gather, the Republican party did not make reform a major concern until a Democrat looked to actually do something. It was more popular to say 'they can afford it' and not give a fuck. (can't say it's a spending issue when your average Rep is more than willing to spend money on pointless wars.) But at the same time, I know there are people more knowledgeable than me, who are of the opinion that throwing more tax dollars at the problem is not the only solution. (For one fact, I heard, 'excessive regulations drive up the costs of health care 70-90% without any real benefits.' Meaning, maybe deregulation would help. Once again, I'm no expert.)

It may be just me, but making it out like opposing Obama's plan is tantamount to 'not caring' is about as propaganda based thinking as it gets, even if you support his plan. It's not a simple 'either or' thing. Even I realize that. Though I may not have worded everything exactly right.

If you are gay you have the exact same rights that every other human being on the planet possesses, no more and no less.

This is where the GLBT community screwed the pooch in my opinion. Gay Rights are a myth, but if you are gay you have the exact same rights everyone else has. Which includes living your life was you wish not someone else want you to or believes you should.

My politics stem from my Atheism in this way: No slavery to a God, the state or my fellow man. I believe in voluntary charity, I do charitable things but I don't like this forced on me. Reasonable apportioned taxes are understandable and appropriate.

I do think that some government is good. Some. Not like what we have now which is out of control! The government should be scaled back to more of its Constitutional beginnings.

I think that capitalism is a sound economic system. What we have now, despite what people think, is not capitalism. If it were, the financial and car companies would have failed and not been further funded by the people they have been screwing for years. But that would have happened a long time ago. And this is not really political, but rather needs to be stated and rolled in with politics anymore because they seem inseparable. Our government has been bought and paid for by these companies that got propped up when they failed and in my humble opinion there should be as much of a separation of business and state as there is for church and state.

Separation of Church and State benefits the faithful as much as it does the faithless and we as Atheists should do more to show the faithful that we have a common interest in keeping the government secular as it was intended. State faiths have only killed countries or made them mad with power and it's the kiss of death as far as freedom is concerned.

As the creator of this community, I welcome all thinkers. I think we have a lot of gain from the freedom to speak our minds and have to defend our positions, this is why America has classically been a destination for those yearning to breathe free and have a better life through their efforts. It has not been like that for a while but it's fixable.

Conservatives pay a lot of lip service to Capitalism and small government, but they never follow through. Just like this "Super majority" of democrats isn't doing what the Dems want.

They are two sides of the same coin of control.

Btw, don't worry about labeling yourself I'm not completely sold on Libertarianism, it is the only party that comes close to what I'd like to see in government. Even that party has issues though. I try to avoid labels internally, and only do it externally for the benefit of others, if they ask.

For me, both my political views and my religious views come down to rejecting mythology. I reject the mythology that there is some omnipotent, omniscient being that involves itself in human affairs. Similarly, I reject the notion that society's problems can be solved by initiating the use of force. Unfortunately, people seem to find the latter notion even more difficult to accept than the former.